Sam, is she talking? It is h*** o* toddlers when they don't have the words to say about how they feel. And yes, she sure does sound spirited.
I would continue to do what you are doing. I would remove her from the table and not allow the meltdowns to continue while you all eat. Do you have a pack & play? Have it in another room and put her in it while you eat. After a few minutes, give her one more chance to come in and eat with the family. If she does it again with the food, no more chances, and back in the pack & play she goes.
This is an important time to help your daughter realize that she cannot make you a short order cook. Don't give her anything else to eat - if you pull out different food, she will continue this and just fight you more.
While you are handling this, help her with her language skills. Give her lots of words. Also try to teach her to say "Help me". ('ep me is how you say it to her.) When a child can tell you somehow that something isn't working, that they need help, it helps them be much less frustrated.
She is very young to be talking, so don't expect talking yet, but let her know that words are important. Daycares say "Use your words" to children to help them learn to verbalize their feelings. I think that would help your daughter.
Speaking of the pack & play, I would use it for every meltdown and have it in a room where she will not see you while she does this. If you are a captive audience, she has a reason to do this. (So no more watching, per your SWH.) If you walk away, first of all, she doesn't know where you are, so her crying is getting her nowhere. Second, you know she is safe. Third, she is too young to keep her in a timeout place.
Two or 3 meltdowns every hour all day long is a lot. I think I would really get 100% consistent on what you do with her. As she starts to figure out that her approach is not working, and you are working with her on language in between the tantrums, I hope she will start thinking twice about it. When you see that she is trying to "decide" if she is going to have one, get down on your knees and look her directly in the eye and say "Use your words. What is the matter?" Or say something like "It's time to clean up the toys - let's sing our clean up song". Maybe that way you can circumvent the tantrum. Once you are able to do that SOME, it's just a matter of time when she will be able to communicate with you enough to circumvent more of them, and she'll get through this phase.
If she has these tantrums when you are out of the house, you have to be willing to drop everything and get her out to the car and strap her in her carseat, and stand outside of the car. This is her pack & play, and she has to have this consequence. Make sure she is fed and rested before going on errands, take a toy or book with her to hold in a store, and NEVER let her have something that she wants so badly that she will have a tantrum over.
When she is older, the book "The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmes" will be helpful.
Just keep being 100% consistent with her and don't give her attention (negative or positive) when she does this. You'll get through this!
Smiles!
Dawn